The scriptures of the 6 orthodox (`astika') schools of Brahmanism, including the sects of Vasihnavism and Vedism, prescribe the cruellest punishments imaginable for women guilty of even minor offences. Mere disobedience to the husband is immediately punished by amputation and maiming, whilst severe betrayal leads to certain death. Women guilty of lesbianism have their fingers chopped off, whilst adulterous wives are eaten alive by dogs.
3.1 AMPUTATION OF WOMENS' EARS AND NOSES
Aryan women were severely punished with amputation of ears and noses for even minor offences, often by their own husbands. The Brahmanic secular court and religious literature is full of such instances :
Ramayana : `Lord' Rama practiced the savage cutting off of womens' noses for minor offences, thereby providing divine sanction for this sadistic custom. In the Ramayana, Shurpanakha is described as a black Dravidian lady ( referred to as `Rakshis' or demonesses by the Aryans ) who fell in love with Rama. She proposed marriage to him, but he refused her, directing her to his brother Laxman. This pious Hindu God immediately cut off her ears and nose for the `crime' of daring to propose to him. The `mighty' Ram fully condoned this cruel act. [ Alld.1036 ] Otherwise, Ram, the `ideal husband', showed little regard to female life; for instance, he killed Tataka [ Alld.1048 ], merely because she was a "Rakshi", or Black Sudra woman. He cut her body into pieces after maiming her in the cruellest manner available. He mutilated her genitals and then shamelessly chopped off pieces of her body one by one after thrusting his sword into her vagina.
Ocean of Story : This work is also full of examples where husbands mutilated their own wives in accordance with bigoted Vaishnava laws. Thus, Devadasa, a merchant of Pataliputra, cuts off the nose of his adulterous wife, and marries another [ Oc. Bk.III,Ch.XIX ][ Oc.Taw I.p.146-7 ]. These instances from court literature show that the harsh Vedic laws of Manu and Kautilya were actually enforced in all their severity.
Another example from the Ocean of Story is when the king of Ujjain decides to cut off the ears of the unfaithful wife of a Brahmin, Kalaratri [ Oc. Bk.IV,Ch.XX ][ Oc.Taw I.p.161 ] This story shows that kings could arbitrarily cut off the noses of the ears of the wives of their subjects whenever they so desired. The testimony of the husband hardly mattered; the king could mutilate any woman he wanted !
Pancatantra : In the Pancatantra, Book I, 7th story, `The Weaver's Wife', [ Ryder, p.54 ], the weaver cuts off his wife's nose because she merely did not respond to his calls ! Later on, the weaver was acquitted by the pious Hindu king of any crime whatsoever !
These passages from court literature prove that the barbaric Brahmanic Hindu laws of Manu and Kautilya were in full force in ancient India. Those who believe that the laws of Manu and Kautilya were not followed in practice are deluding themselves. The Brahmanic court literature clearly reveals the inhuman persecution meted out to women in the religion of Hinduism as well as the incredible suffering that Hindu women had to endure.
3.2 HINDU WIVES PUBLICLY DEVOURED BY DOGS
The death penalty was almost invariably prescribed for Aryan women guilty of infidelity. Aryan races all over the world practiced this; thus the Germanic warrior would instantly slay his wife and her lover. The barbaric Indo-Aryan males were no different. Later, when Brahmins attained absolute dominion over their Aryan and non-Aryan subjects, they invented ever harsher methods of destroying women. Hence, the cruelty involved in the manner with which Aryan women were butchered increased with a corresponding hardening of Brahmin power. The Manu Smrti, the most authoritative law-book of `astik' Hinduism (ie. Brahmanism), states that adulterous women are to be torn apart by dogs :
Manu Smrti.VIII.371 : " If a wife, proud of the greatness of her relatives or (her own) excellence, violates the duty which she owes to her lord, the king shall cause her to be devoured by dogs in a place frequented by many."
Manu Smrti.VIII.372 : " Let him cause the male offender to be burnt on a red-hot iron bed; they shall put logs under it, (until) the sinner is burned (to death) ."
Many savage peoples put the adulterous wife to death, but none did it by allowing wild dogs to devour the woman in public. Also, in none of these cultures did the bigoted law-makers go so far as the Brahmins, who defined adultery as to include mere touching, talking or meeting a man ! Even if a women had touched another man with her hand, she is to be devoured by savage dogs in public ! These laws are stated in the `humane' and `wonderful' religion of Hinduism :
Manu Smrti.VIII.356 : " He who addresses the wife of another man at a Tirtha, outside the village, in a forest, or at the confluence of rivers, suffer (the punishment for) adulterous acts (samgrahana). ."
Manu Smrti.VIII.357